10 WWE Wrestlers DOOMED Without Vince McMahon

7. Von Wagner

Von Wagner
WWE.com

Triple H's quiet WWE demotion preceded NXT black and gold's transformation into NXT 2.0: a gimmick-heavy show painted in the broadest strokes, populated primarily by the younger, greener athletes who'd replaced Levesque's experienced cast collected from the indie scene.

This change was to facilitate a smoother transition from developmental to the main roster. A sound theory: the closer the two products were to each other, the easier it should be to adapt. Triple H's creative ascent raised big developmental questions, however. If the main roster is to be painted in Levesque's image, what becomes of NXT 2.0, which was rebuilt in Vince's?

The answer appears to be a hybrid, for now. If so, some of the cartoon-gimmicked rookies fast-tracked through NXT 2.0 will have to give way.

Von Wagner boasts impressive size and power but has now been on television for 11 months without marrying these attributes to the menace demanded by his heel role. A lumbering green giant who routinely loses himself on the microphone, despite his pairing with Mr. Stone, he, like many of his roster mates, isn't TV ready and would benefit from a longer Performance Center stint before re-emerging.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.